The Rise
by Snakefang93
Summary: Amos Diggory thought that he got his revenge against Harry Potter. Little he and the rest of witches and wizards of magical Britain know that they were creating something more powerful than Lord Grindelwald and deadlier than Lord Voldemort. AU after DH. Epilogue disregarded. Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

After reading countless stories by various talented authors, I felt I was ready to write a story of my own. In this, Tom Riddle will be a little OOC.

Read and enjoy.

Disclaimer: JKR owns Harry Potter. The only things I own are my OC's.

...

The Trail and leaving Britain:

Harry James Potter sat in the courtroom, staring blindly at his feet, waiting for the decision to come. They had spent weeks interviewing and interrogating and interviewing again everyone who had anything to do with the Battle of Hogwarts. They had done their own investigation into the facts of the Battle of Hogwarts. Everyone knew that it wasn't going to be pretty.

Suddenly, Amos Diggory, chairman of the committee stood.

"Members of the Wizengamot, executive committee of the Ministry and gathered parties, it is with great sorrow that I make this report on behalf of my committee."

Amos Diggory, a man on the rise in the Ministry. However, in Harry's eyes, he was still angry at Harry over the death of his son, regardless of what he said to the contrary.

"Mr. Diggory, let us hear your findings." Kingsley said from the main bench.

It was rare for Kingsley to be present at Wizengamot meetings. However, this one, the one which would determine the blame of the entire Second Wizarding War, was incredibly important.

"On May 2, 1998, Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters attacked Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, a great battle ensued. Among the Death Eaters and their allies, we collected 121 bodies in the aftermath. These Death Eaters attacked the school because Harry Potter was present at the school."

Instantly, the eyes of everyone in the room shifted to him.

"Why was Harry Potter present at the school? He had been on the run from the Dark Lord for nearly ten months at this time. In our investigation, it was discovered that Harry Potter knew of a dark secret. He knew things the wizard known as Dark Lord Voldemort created to ensure his immortality. Due to the dangerous and dark nature of the objects, we are withholding the information related to the objects."

"Anyway, Mr. Potter had been taught the secrets of Lord Voldemort by none other than Albus Dumbledore. During his sixth year, Potter and Dumbledore viewed the memories of numerous people in connection with the past of the wizard who calls himself Lord Voldemort to discover that Lord Voldemort had, in fact, created these dark objects. Over the next year, Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger chased them down and destroyed them one by one."

Harry knew where he was going with the story next. He didn't want to go there at all.

"However, something strange was happening to Mr. Potter. He could see into the mind of the Dark Lord, able to predict his actions and generally be one step ahead of him. This is why he went to Hogwarts. There was the last of the objects, namely Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem and Nagini, Lord Voldemort's pet snake. Potter managed to destroy the diadem. Then, he snuck to the Shrieking Shack to find the snake. While he was there, he witnesses the heroic death of Severus Snape. While he was living, many of us believed Severus Snape to be the Dark Lord's greatest ally. However, we learned from Mr. Potter himself that Snape was not this man. In this moment, Snape passed a collection of memories to Potter before his death."

Please stop. Please...just stop. He gritted his teeth in anger at Ronald Weasley for divulging all the secrets. Filthy back-stabbing traitor.

"Potter proceeded to the Headmaster's Office to view the memories. There, he learned that Severus Snape, due to an undying love for Potter's mother, Lily, had left Lord Voldemort years earlier to protect Harry in her memory. It was also during these memories that Harry learned that he had become the object himself when Lord Voldemort had attempted to kill him that fateful Halloween night."

No one in the room spoke. Harry wished he could disappear. He was tired of hearing this story. He already knew what the outcome was. Amos Diggory wanted his blood, but refrained himslef when Harry was under Dumbledore's protection. Harry grudgingly admitted that the move was pretty sneaky. How Amos was every sorted into Hufflepuff, Harry would never know.

"So, Potter gave himself up. He walked out to the Forbidden Forest and was killed by Lord Voldemort. However, when Lord Voldemort was resurrected three years earlier, he apparently made one fatal mistake. He took 's blood as he own. As such, this gave Harry a connection to the living world that could not be broken. Therefore, Harry was brought back and was able to defeat the Dark Lord in battle. Witches and wizards must note that if Mr. Potter wasn't alive, the self styled Lord Voldemort might not have ever returned. "

Finally, the story was over and the room seemed to be getting restless. Harry knew what was next would define the impact of the war. How Harry wished he was left alone in a room with Diggory. The man was a disgrace to the memory of his dead son.

"Mr. Diggory, what party does your tribunal blame for the tragedies of the Second Wizarding War?" Kingsley asked.

"Minister Shacklebolt, it is this committee's belief that the responsibility lies with Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter."

They said it. Harry couldn't believe it. They were really going to try and blame some of the war on him. He was seething in anger.

"Lord Voldemort is obviously responsible because without his terror, none of the rest of these actions were needed." Diggory explained. "However, when it came to those we entrusted to defend us from the Dark Lord, Harry Potter is to blame for the unnecessary deaths. Mr. Potter knew of the objects months before the Battle of Hogwarts and yet chose to inform no one."

Diggory stopped his pacing and faced the court, armed with his words and ready to fire.

"Instead, he and two of his classmates went out into the world wasting countless hours simply hiding from the forces of evil while the rest of the world suffered for it. Then, during the battle itself, Harry did not present himself as a fighter, someone there to defend others. Instead, he ran to find lost relics that he believed on the off chance could be used to destroy the Dark Lord."

The room seemed to have an incredibly strange vibe. Harry didn't think that many of the people in there actually wanted to blame him. However, Harry could see a number of people that seemed to be outraged by the lack of trust he showed in them. As if he would trust these sheep after the way they treated him in his fifth year.

"In the end, Mr. Potter trusted himself and two other teenagers with the fate of the world. The Ministry would have helped him if he had only asked."

With this, Amos Diggory took his seat. Kingsley spoke to those around him for a moment before speaking again.

"Hermione Granger, please rise."

Instantly, she stood and faced the Minister of Magic.

"Miss Granger, you went with Mr. Potter on his journey and you are a member of this committee. Do you agree with this finding?"

Suddenly, Hermione went white. Harry wasn't certain what was so difficult about the question. Obviously she couldn't believe that. Could she?

"Miss Granger?"

As she snapped out of her fog, Hermione answered.

"I believe that Harry Potter had the best interests of the wizarding world in mind when he chose the course of action that he did."

Quickly, a murmur went around the room as Hermione spoke. Harry smiled as he watched his best friend defend him. Job or not, she knew what was right.

"However..."

That was something in Hermione's voice he didn't like.

"However, I do believe that there are certain things that could have been handled better in regard to how we searched for the objects."

Whereas before the room buzzed with life, now the room was dead silent. Harry couldn't believe what he had just heard. Did she just agree with the committee? She wouldn't blindly say yes, of course. However, it sounded to Harry that she agreed with them.

"What things could have been handled better Miss. Granger?" Kingsley asked her.

"I believe that the Order of the Phoenix, while technically an illegal organization at the time, should have been involved more."

"For what purposes?"

"I think that they could have been used to search more while we were away." Hermione answered shortly.

Harry couldn't believe it. Even if that's how she felt, the fact that she had just ratted him out, in public and without warning, was insane. Harry's hands shook with anger. He couldn't even imagine that he would have heard that come out of her mouth.

"Mr. Potter." Kingsley said from his pedestal. "Would you like to defend yourself before the court reaches its judgement?"

Could he without exploding? Obviously, he wanted to defend himself. He just wasn't sure that he would handle himself well. Regardless, he stepped down from his seat and made his way to the floor. As he stepped down, he glared at Hermione, who simply stared at the floor below her.

"Everything you have heard from Amos Diggory is true." Harry started.

He didn't want people to get the wrong impression. Diggory had done the reporting in the most factual way he could. It was not the what he was here to dispute, it was the "why."

"Everything you heard from Mr. Diggory is absolutely fact." Harry repeated. "However, what he did not include was _why_I did what I did. I did what I did to protect you. Each and every person in this room and every witch or wizard in England was better off because of how I acted. Firstly, I had been instructed by Albus Dumbledore before his death to not divulge the information that was just shared with anyone other than Ron and _Miss Granger."_Harry said, although he couldn't help but growling Hermione's name a bit.

"I think that he chose this because he knew what The Order of the Phoenix knew. The Ministry, between active Death Eaters that still worked there and their Impeurised victims, was slowly being overtaken. That's why, when Lord Voldemort chose to take over, it was so easy. He faced little to no resistance because he owned most of the people that would fight him."

Harry took a deep breath before he spoke again.

"I think that Albus Dumbledore knew that the Ministry would fall."

As he expected, a buzz circled the room. Harry held a hand up to silence the room and within seconds, he had their attention once more.

"As a result of this belief, Dumbledore instructed me to be as secretive as possible. No one knew what we were doing. The Weasley's, who we were staying with before we disappeared, had no clue what exactly we were doing. Dumbledore knew that if the Ministry fell, there would be some people who would talk to get better treatment from the new Ministry. He also knew that there would be some people, like Arthur Weasley, that would continue to work at the new Ministry, spying on them from within. However, if Arthur knew what we were doing, the odds of him being forced to speak after slipping up or revealing something he shouldn't have known increased greatly. If no one knew where we were, no one could be forced to testify about our whereabouts or what we were doing."

"Mr. Potter, do you really believe that hiding this search from the rest of us was in our best interest?"

"If Tom Riddle had discovered that we were searching for these objects Mr. Diggory, he would have gone directly to them and he would have moved them to new locations and we would have to start looking all over again. So, to answer your question simply, yes."

Kingsley began speaking to the people around him on the court. Suddenly, he looked down at Harry. The look on his face gave him away instantly. He thought that Harry was going to lose.

"Members of the court, remember this is not a criminal case. No one will go to Azkaban for this. We are simply deciding the reason why this war was fought the way it was and if there is a reason that it could have been better."

Harry slowly turned and walked back to his seat. He didn't need to see this from down there.

"Those who agree with the committee's decision and that blame for the war and its outcome be blamed on Thomas Marvolo Riddle aka Lord Voldemort and Harry James Potter, please mark the affirmative."

As Harry took his seat, he saw flashes of light shine all around the room. Suddenly, a number shined, floating in the middle of the room: 118.

"That is 118 votes in agreement. Those that disagree?"

Again, the lights flashed, although Harry very quickly noticed that there were less lights. Suddenly, the 118 that floated changed in a 43.

"43 votes against. Any abstentions?"

Three lights quickly flashed and Harry knew that he was done. He didn't even wait for the verdict. He slowly stood up and made his way to the door. As he walked, Kingsley spoke.

"As Minister of Magic and head of this tribunal, I agree with the court's decision. We find Thomas Marvolo Riddle and Harry James Potter guilty of..."

Harry couldn't hear anymore. After all the things he did for them, they were going to try him and strip him of his wealth, his job as an auror and his life. He desperately looked at the stands and desperately sought out Ginny. Emerald green eyes narrowed in anger when she avoided his eyes on purpose and his lips twisted into a snarl as tendrils of magic started leaking out of him.

Bringing himself back to what Kingsley Shakebolt was speaking, he heard the last part.

"Lastly, the Potter estate will be confiscated and distributed among the victims of the battle. Mr. Potter will be dismissed from his job as an Auror and is ineligible to apply for a job within the Ministry of Magic of Britain and the allied organizations. "

"Mr. Potter, do you have anything to speak before the recommendations of the tribunal are carried out?" Kingsley spoke, his face apologetic.

Harry composed himself as he slowly walked towards the podium.

"Gentle witches and wizards of Britain, I Harry James Potter accept the terms of the tribunal and will act according to the wishes of the governing body and it's minister."

"As for you Mr. Diggory, the death of your son was a terrible tragedy. I don't know why you doing this, but from what little I knew about your son Cedric Diggory, he would be ashamed of you."

Angry mutters rose among the wizengamot members and Amos Diggory started becoming redder and redder.

"Quite" shouted Harry, his magically amplified voice carrying throughout the courtroom and suddenly, the whispers stopped.

"As for the rest, I gave up my life to protect witches and wizards of Britain from the tyranny of one Tom Marvolo Riddle and if I knew that this would be treated, I would have left you to his mercy."

"Thank you for the support I received from you all. I will be leaving Britain within the next few days." at this, he sought out Ginny's eyes again to see her avoiding his eyes once again. Gritting his teeth, he desperately struggled to keep his anger in check. A public outburst was the last thing he needed.

With a mumbled "Thank you", he stepped off the podium and left the ministry.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

" I heard what happened Harry" the soft voice of Minerva McGonagall brought one Harry James Potter out of his thoughts.

"You don't deserve this Harry" she continued as her eyes started tearing up. Around her, the potraits of the previous Headmasters and Headmistresses watched the former Transfiguration professor and her former student sitting in the Headmistresses office and talking.

Harry Potter only smiled sadly as he looked towards the potrait of Albus Dumbledore, which watched the proceedings with a sad look on it's face.

"I am going for a walk madam" Harry Potter dusted the invisible dust on his robes as he got up and moved towards the door.

"Send an elf if you need me." and with that parting shot, he left the office and slowly walked towards the tomb of one Albus Percivial Wulfric Dumbledore near the great lake.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Standing beside his deceased mentors grave on his knees, Harry Potter ran his hand over the smooth marble of the tomb as he softly spoke,

"I killed him professor. Riddle is dead, forever gone this time around. They took away everything from me. What didn't I give them? I even died so that Voldemort could be killed and the witches and wizards could live peacefully and this is how they treat me?" he spat out the last bit angrily.

"These people are sheep professor. Sheep that didn't deserve to be saved." he bit out as tears started to pour out of his eyes, laced with rage and frustration and absently, took out his wand and erected privacy wards around the tomb before he started sobbing his heart out with his head laid on the smooth marble of the tomb.

"I am sorry for this professor" he spoke softly after the tears stopped flowing, composed himself and moved in front of the tomb.

Pointing his '11 inch Holly and phoenix feather' wand at the grave of his mentor, he gave it a sharp jab and the marble of the grave, split open with a crack and a wave of his wand moved the blocks apart.

Pocketing his wand, Harry waved his hand and a grey wand, 15 inches in length rose from inside of the tomb.

As he wrapped his hand around the handle of his wand, a shudder went through his spine as the air around him crackled with magical energy and golden sparks started coming out of the wand.

"At last old friend." Harry Potter muttered softly as he repaired the damaged tomb and erased his magical signature from the vicinity.

"Get ready my dear." he continued as he caressed the wand and softly kissed it and as a feeling of warmth filled his body.

"To serve the Master of Death" he spoke silkily as he pointed the wand towards the forbidden forest and gave a sharp gesture, channelling all his magic and focus into the spell.

Suddenly, a small black stone, with a small crack in the middle came flying from the woods into the outstretched palm of Harry Potter.

Chuckling darkly, he pocketed his new wand and the stone as he brought down the privacy wards with a flick of his holly wand and started walking towards the Hogwarts gates. After he exited the grounds, he disappeared with a sharp crack, replacing the sights of the majestic castle and the lights from the nearby village of Hogsmeade with the park infront of Grimmauld place in London.

Opening the doors with a flick of his wand, Harry entered the ancestral home of the most Ancient and Noble house of Black.

Just as he entered, an old elf with more wrinkles than the number of hairs in Dumbledore's beard popped in front of him.

"Kreacher heard what those nasty traitors did to master. What does master want Kreacher to do?" the elf asked with a mournful expression on it's face.

"Pack everything Kreacher" spoke Harry Potter as he scribbled furiously on a parchment and handed it over to the elf.

"Take this to Gringotts and have the entire Black fortune emptied. We are leaving Britain until I am ready to teach these sheep a lesson" Harry Potter growled out as the elf disappeared with a slight pop and a cry of "At once master."

Changing his clothes into something comfortable, Harry poured himself a glass of firewhisky as he sat in front of the fireplace, thinking of his destination as he drifted into the grasp of morpheus.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx

"Is everything ready Kreacher?" the voice of his master Harry Potter brought the elf in question out of it's thinking as it packed everything from the house and waited for it's master to come.

"Yes master Harry. Kreacher did everything master asked him to do." the elf replied dutifully.

"Thank you Kreacher. That will be all. I will call you when I find proper accomodation for us." and with that, Harry dismissed the elf.

Walking out of the house into London, Harry took a stone and with a muttered "Portus", changed it into a portkey, with destination firm in his mind.

Just as the portkey activated, the only thoughts running thorough his mind was

'He would be back one day and make them pay. Oh Diggory, I will make your death last for weeks'.

And with those famous last thoughts, Harry Potter left England.

The sheep he left behind had no idea then what the thought meant for them and by the time they would realize, it would be too late for them.

Across the realms, in a plane where souls went after death, Albus Dumbledore watched his favourite pupil leaving Britain with a mournful expression on his face and the expressions of the faces of James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black, Remus and Nymphadora Lupin and every single victim of Voldemort and his followers mirrored his.

On the same plane, one united spirit of Tom Marvolo Riddle, whose sanity has recently returned looked at the expression on the face of his former Transfiguration professor and laughing drawing dirty looks from the others. But he didn't care. This drama was too amusing for him to control his laughter. These sheep deserved to be enslaved and butchered. He might have committed uncountable crimes when he was alive, his horcruxes might have made him insane and made him support the ridiculous pureblood agenda for power, but Potter was on the same path he himself underwent when Lord Mckinnon made it impossible for him to find employment in Britain when he requested him for his daughter's hand and made him leave Britain. He, Tom Marvolo Riddle personally slaughtered the entire clan, starting with the said lord in the 1981 as retaliation after all. The sheep in Britain wouldn't know what hit them. Looking into the future, he let out a chortling laughter much to Dumbledore's indignation. Harry Potter would succeed where he, the heir of Slytherin failed.

...

And that, boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, is the beginning. Share your thoughts with me. Suggestions are welcomed. If you don't like any part of my story or if there are any mistakes you wish to point out, feel free to leave a review or PM me, in a civilized manner. We are all educated people. I will respond to all your suggestions, reviews and PM's.

There will be no Slash in this story.

Until next time, goodbye.

Coming Up next:_ Where on Earth is Harry Potter? What is he doing? Rumours of rising darkness in Eastern and Central Europe reach the ears of the British ministry and the Order and disturbance at the Spanish ministry. Is it just a disturbance?_


	2. The invasion and the glimpse

**Thank you for your reviews. Here is the second chapter of 'The Rise'. I shamelessly used a few ideas from Thaedys's Crimson Vanguard. And since he stopped writing after his account was hacked and stories deleted, I'm sure he wouldn't mind. **

...

Jean Delacour, rising star in the French DMLE looked around him as he saw hundreds of wizards and witches with their wands drawn, standing in rows after rows in the vast main hall of the building of the Spanish ministry of magic, or apparently posted at strategical places all around.

There were people of all sorts, hundreds of them, most in crimson robes, and he recognised that they were British Aurors, by their disciplined stance, and by the determined, fierce expression on their faces. The British aurors were after all the most feared policing authority in entire Europe. The credit to converting the previously pitiful excuse for an auror force into a force to be reckoned fell to one Neville Frank Longbottom, who was regarded as the most powerful wizard in Britain. Jean desperately hoped the wizard would be powerful enough to stop the Dark Lady Grindelwald and the one who called himself the 'Emperor' when the time came. Not many knew of the existence of the 'Emperor'. All he knew were rumours that the wizard's power was unrivalled and his skills in necromancy were legendary. The general populace were unaware of the existence of the wizard and as far as an average witch and wizard were concerned, 'The Emperor' was just a myth.

Many others were recognizably French Aurors, in their pale blue tunics, because he knew that Longbottom had convinced the French Minister of Magic to declare war on the Dark Lady and her 'Crimson Covenant', to send his Aurors to help the Spaniards.

Furthermore, there were many other assorted wizards and witches, not Aurors, many clearly Spanish Ministry workers, but plenty others looked foreigners too, people who had voluntarily and bravely answered the Spanish call for help.

And they were all ready. They all knew what was coming, the day, the place, the exact hour, down to the second. The Spanish minister received a missive from the Dark Lady informing him of the details of the planned assault.

Magical super power Italy already fell to the combined forces of the 'Crimson Covenant' and their allied nations. The Italian minister dismissed the threat of the 'Covenant' and was assassinated in the middle of the ministry itself and replaced with a sympathiser. France and Britain were the only European nations, both magical and muggle standing between the 'Covenant' and total overhaul of the existing maps of EUrope. The muggle nations wouldn't last if their magical counterparts fell anyway.

And Jean's chest constricted, because he knew they didn't have a chance. As much as he wished, he doubted a Dark Lady could be halted by them, but only by someone equal in power, and he knew who it was. And Neville Longbottom still didn't make an appearance.

_"The time has come…" _Suddenly,a melodiously soft, yet seductive voice pierced through his head.

Suddenly, Jean screamed as intense pain speared into his head, as he heard his shout accompanied by those of everyone else, as he fell on hands and feet like the others who did to their knees or crumbled to the floor, as it seemed as if beastly, savage claws were ripping through his brain, as a deep, low voice echoed and reverberated as if it was coming from all around him and from inside his skull, as it continued with whip-lashing force.

_"Surrender, and your life will be spared..." _

Jean tried to desperately clear him mind of thoughts. His Occulemency practice for half a decade was literally blown away.

It was overwhelming, incapacitating, it was all he could think of or hear, of surrendering as the voice said. An utterly unfamiliar voice he had never heard before, yet he knew who it was, because the knowledge of its identity was being suffused inside his mind, and it was followed by terror, because it was Cassandra Grindelwald, great-granddaughter of the infamous and disgraced dark lord Gellert Grindelwald, talking to him, to everyone, inside their heads, in the respective languages their minds comprehended.

"No!" groaned Jean desperately, as he tried to scramble on hands and feet, as he tried to open his eyes which seemed to have scrunched shut with a volition of their own, tears of pain leaking from them.

_"Submit, and no harm will come to you..."_

Yes, to submit was to live, submission meant surviving to see another day. Jean Armand Delacour howled in pain and agony as the alien thought wrecked inside his mind, clutching his head, as he chocked and wheezed, attempting to draw breath, yet he felt he couldn't.

He would not breathe, unless he submitted to the Dark Lady, the greatest magical being of them all, who held his life in her hands, hands that could be merciful, tender and forgiving, yet brutal and ruthless if not shown the acceptance and loyalty that was due to her.

"No," choked out Jean, shaking his head violently, trying to keep the foreign thoughts away from his head, feeling as if he was sinking in a miasma of confusion and madness.

_"Resist, and your life and those of your loved ones will be forfeited..."_

It was insanity, sheer devastating insanity that didn't let him think clearly, that made his sight swim and his mind lurch and battle against a crushing force that was overpowering, in will and strength and magic, because it was true, to resist was to die, and there was no bravery in that but stupidity and waste.

_"You have seven minutes to decide, between Life or Death. After all, seven is the most powerful arithmetic number, isn't it?"_

It stopped. Everything suddenly stopped, and Jean found himself splayed on the floor, like everyone else, his head throbbing yet all pain and confusion was gone, leaving only clarity behind.

Everyone around them looked ill, pale, shaky, and even some seemed half-crazed with fear.

Jean caught a glimpse of several witches and wizards, most likely employees, here and there, tossing their wands or breaking them, as they bowed their heads low, clearly in a display of a decision they had made, to surrender.

Some were even fleeing, but most, all the Aurors and other assorted people, remained standing in place, ready to fight till the end, to never yield.

"What on earth was that?" a portly witch wheezed out in French, panic etched on her face as she desperately dashed towards the floo points. Jean couldn't really blame her. I he weren't an auror, his reaction would have been exactly the same.

A flash of fire caught the attention of the aurors and the remaining witches and wizards and they saw witches and wizards continuously appear in a flash of fire in the middle of the ministry with their perfectly tailored robes, with the symbol of a phoenix with its wings spread wide on display on their breastplate armour made of Dragon hide.

The phoenix flamed a final time and a wizard appeared out of the flames. Jean Delacour had of course seen the pictures of Neville Longbottom before, but none of the moving pictures did justice to the man. Neville Longbottom, despite how round he was, looked nothing but awfully handsome, an air of utter self-confidence around him. Jean and everyone around him could literally feel the tidal waves of magic rolling off him as he palmed his wand and waited for the strike to come.

'30 seconds' thought Jean frantically as he hardened his resolve. Even if they lost, he would take as many enemies with him as possible.

Suddenly, the members of the Order of the Phoenix, 30 in number walked forward, barricading the entire auror contingent, led by their leader Neville Longbottom.

The magically amplified voice of Neville Longbotttom boomed at once as he started talking.

"Come out Cassandra. I am tired of your games" the wizard boomed with narrowed eyes as he gripped his wand tightly.

"Innocent lives are on line here and I will not let you destroy them." he continued and Jean desperately hoped Mr. Longbottom had some sort of plan to deal with the Dark Lady.

"I Neville Frank Longbottom, challenge you to a head on duel to submission. Accept if you are as powerful as you claim to be" shouted Neville Longbottom. He had faith in himself. He came very far from the clumsy boy who always set things on fire. If he could defeat the lady, he could imprison or kill her and without a leader, her forces would disband, like it was the case of every dark lord and lady in history.

A soft melodious laugh amplified by magic spread across the ministry atrium and suddenly bright flash of light and a huge crack were the only warnings before the wards, keeping the forces of the Dark Lady were blown apart, shattered completely.

When the light subsided, standing in front of them were approximately 50 witches and wizards, all dressed in crimson robes, the same colour as the British aurors with the symbol of a straight line enclosed in a circle and surrounded by a triangle. The Dark Lady and her inner circle apparated into the ministry atrium.

As the lead figure removed the hood hiding her face, Jean's eyes widened. Cassandra Grindelwald was nothing like he imagined her to be. Wavy blonde hair, left loose reached her shoulders and piercing aquamarine eyes regarded and watched Neville Longbottom's every movement with rapt attention. The Dark Lady Grindelwald was breathtakingly beautiful. If he didn't know her last name, Jean would have mistaken for a Veela or at least, a part-Veela like his cousins were.

"I don't seem to recall giving you the honour to use my first name Longbottom" spoke Cassandra Grindelwald as she unsheathed her wand and pointed it downwards.

"I accept your terms Longbottom. You don't even have the slightest idea what is going to happen to you, do you? Let's up the ante shall we, I will duel you to death" she scowled.

"Challenging me to a duel" she scoffed.

"I will surely enjoy this.". Here, she smiled diabolically as with gesture, both Order of the Phoenix and the Crimson Covenant stepped back, giving both the duelists space.

Neville Longbottom and Cassandra Grindelwald bowed to each other and raised their wand. Crystal blue eyes met warm hazel one's as they raised their wand and suddenly, without warning, magic exploded everywhere between them.

Cassandra's wand moved in a blur as a jet of deathly green light erupted from her wand and raced towards Neville Longbottom, who with a flick of his wand, raised a stone golem which took the killing curse and shattered into a million pieces. Another jet of green light raced towards him as he spun away from the path of the curse. Reappearing towards his right, he waved his wand and vines erupted from the ground, trying to encircle the Dark Lady and cocoon her.

Cassandra's eyes flashed in anger and with a wave of her wand, ruby colored fire erupted from the tip of her wand, burning the vines to cinders.

The flame then grew bigger and bigger with every passing second until it filled Neville's entire vision. It suddenly morphed into the shape of a huge flaming dragon, which let out a ear-splitting roar as it descended towards Neville Longbotton, it's mouth open and eyes filled with power. Just as the figure was about to strike Neville and incarcerate him, Neville made a upward slash of wand and the dragon reared back as if it was struck by a terrible force and dissolved into nothingness.

With a flick of his wand Neville converted the flames into a flaming tornado and with a jab, transfigured the 'fiendfyre' into a whip of flame and swung it towards Cassandra Grindelwald, who responded with a whip of her own. As the two whips of fire clashed, the temperature in the atrium suddenly increased dramatically and people, who were watching the duel unfold with utter fascination started to sweat.

Neville Longbottom, being the stronger one physically, swung his whip with all his might and was rewarded with an opening as his opponent stumbled forward. Cancelling his whip, he flicked his wand and a bright flash of magical lightning, immediately followed by the familiar sound of thunder erupted from his wand and raced towards the dark lady.

Cassandra Grindelwald, snarled in anger as she saw the lightning race towards her. Twisting her wand, she concentrated and with a jab, conjured a metallic shield around her and gritted her teeth as the two met with a reverberating boom as the glasses in the atrium shattered and started falling down. Cancelling her shield with a flick of her wrist, she casually swatted away the following chain of spells as she angrily strode forward, her wand a blur as she repeatedly deflected curses and hexes. She greatly underestimated Longbottom.

Neville Longbottom was sweating as he saw every single of his curse-chains being deflected by the Dark Lady. He already wasted too much power in destroying the flaming dragon and the overpowering the battle of whips. He was getting desperate. He then sought out the eyes of his wife Ginny and nodded at her, who with a grim look on her face, gave her assent.

Pointing her wand at the dark lady, Ginerva Molly Longbottom, nee Weasley screamed

_"Avada Kedavra"_

Cassandra Grindelwald's eyes widened as the unprepared killing curse, the slowest of the curses raced towards her from the wand of the ginger blood-traitor. The emperor warned her about the backstabbing little traitors of course. But she didn't expect them to actually break the code of dueling. Deflecting the last of Longbottom's curses, she desperately tried to raise a stone to protect herself. But it was late, too late.

Just as the killing curse was about to hit her, she was magically propelled side wards and a hand appeared out of thin air and caught the killing curse.

Wizards, both from the Order, aurors and the 'Crimson Covenant' watched in disbelief as the unblock able killing curse was suspended as a hand which appeared stopped it in its tracks.

"I always knew that you were a backstabbing little traitor ickle Ginerva, but it seems you traitorous ways evaded even my wildest imagination." a smooth baritone voice rang throughout the entire atrium as a mocking laugh reverberated through the entire atrium. Suddenly, the killing curse dissolved into nothingness.

Neville Longbottom watched in disbelief as the invisibility on the mysterious figure blurred before the mysterious figure and suddenly, the air in front of the figure rippled as a wave of destructive magical energy erupted out of the figure's what appeared to be a wand.

Eyes widening in horror, Neville desperately raised the shield Dumbledore's portrait told him was the strongest in existence and pored all his magical strength into it.

The two of them clashed with a resounding gong and the shield broke and Neville was lifted off his feet and propelled backwards.

"Looks like the squib is out of magic" the mocking voice let out a chortling laughter as the invisibility faded away.

Gasps ran throughout the ranks of most of the Aurors and the Order of the Phoenix.

Standing infront of them, dressed in jet black robes with a golden outline at the edges with the symbol of a line in a circle enclosed in a triangle was the boy-who-lived and the famed defeater of Lord Voldemort, Harry James Potter himself. Neville sought out his eyes and his eyes, once a deep emerald green filled with compassion and kindness were now a pitch black and only held malice and cruelty within them.

"Did you really think I would leave you all alone after what you did to me?" laughed Harry Potter as with a flick of his wand, shattered the anti-apparition wards with a resounding crack and witches and wizards, hundreds in number started apparating into the atrium. The aurors took a step back at the sheer number of forces in the 'Crimson Covenant'.

"I have special news for you Hermione, I know you are there among the traitorous Order, as pathetic as it is anyway. Moments ago, members of my covenant trapped your entire family and torched them alive" he grinned sadistically at the brown haired woman.

"Now, I have a message for your beloved 'Minister'" Harry sneered, emphasizing the last part.

"Tell Diggory I am coming for him soon." he spoke calmly, but there was the clear hint of underlying anger in his voice as the hairs on the necks of witches and wizards stood up as waves of magic started rolling off him, leaving them breathless. The power of Neville Longbottom and Cassandra Grindelwald paled in comparison to the magical lord in front of them.

"As for the aurors from the nation of France, your 'NEW' minister" he spoke, emphasizing on 'NEW' heavily.

"Ordered a full retreat of their policing forces and hit-wizards from Spanish lands immediately. The ministry of France surrendered to my 'Crimson Covenant' a few minutes ago." Harry spoke omniously to the snarling French aurors.

"As for the famed the British aurors, you all will get what is coming for you anyway." he continued smirking, ignoring the growls from the British aurors.

"As for you Neville," he sighed, watching the fallen figure dispassionately.

"I have nothing against you, but certain sacrifices have to made for the greater good" Harry sniffed imperiously and faster than anyone could react shot a killing curse towards Neville Longbottom, who was too shocked to even react. The killing hit him straight in the chest and sniffed out the life in him, living up to its reputation.

"Y-your Covenant?" questioned Hermione Weasley, whose mind, despite it's brilliance, shut down when she needed it the most.

"Indeed Hermione" Harry Potter drawled smirking at the ashen look on her face.

"But that would mean.." she trailed off.

Harry Potter started laughing.

"I, Harry James Potter am the emperor, the very same man the average witch and wizard brush away as a myth" he gushed between bouts of laughter.

"Stand up now Empress" he spoke sharply to the still fallen Cassandra Grindelwald, who smirked and stood up and embraced him.

"And now for my promised gift to the esteemed British aurors and the Order" he smirked devilishly and the French aurors, most of them who have already retreated blanched and vacated the atrium.

Suddenly, the floor where the aurors were standing exploded with a tremendous force, spraying the members of the Order of the Phoenix in the blood and gore of the aurors. Those who escaped the blast simply fell dead from the killing curses of the covenant members in the atrium.

"Leave now" spoke Harry Potter sharply.

"I will allow you to escape with your live esteemed members of the Phoenix order" Harry sneered.

"Lord Potter is merciful, is he not?" and with the parting shot, unleashed a torrent of '_fiendfye'_ and watched in amusement as the Order members took out their emergency portkeys and activated them, leaving behind the carnage that was once the Spanish and British aurors and the fallen Spanish ministry.

The laughter of one Harry James Potter and the malice in it reverberated in the ears of the Order of the Phoenix as they left the defeated Spanish ministry.

The very person they betrayed came back with vengeance and pushed them into a corner.

The only thought in the minds of the Order members was that of the ease with which the ministries fell all around Europe.

_"How long would we last"._

Harry Potter stroked his wife's forehead as he watched the Order of Phoenix retreat from the conquered Spanish ministry. He laughing coldly as the realization that he was one step closer to unifying magical Europe hit faster than a bludger. He had special plans for his beloved Britain after all.

Simply conquering the dim island wouldn't satisfy him. He would make the sheep suffer for what they did to him. He had special plans reserved for Diggory after all.

...

**To clear a few things, Neville and Cassandra aren't as powerful as Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Only Harry matches the power Dumbledore yielded at his peak and he is also the master of death.**

**I know I made a huge time-skip. This is just a prologue. The next update will be around next Sunday and will continue where Chapter-1 ended. I posted this since it's already written and ready to be published.**

**Meet my new OC Cassandra Grindelwald. And no, she will be nowhere a cough *Mary Sue* cough. Her story and how she met Harry will be revealed in the coming chapters. The story will get darker and the rating will change.**

**Read and review. I need reviews. The more I get, the sooner I update. What can I say,*sniff*, I am a review whore.**

**Also, I am not satisfied with this chapter. Dialogue has never been my strong point. If anyone is interested in beta'ing the story for me, feel free to PM me.**

**Till next time, have a good week.**

**Cheers**


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